I was like omg what is he doing ? Waooo It works. :O

Yea that literally gave me goose bumps when I saw that.

Don't worry it's coming, lol. I haven't finished it up yet but I did at least get it running so stay tuned!

Yeah, this is exactly the question I came here to ask.

+Cut and Carve it's about 6,000. I did the drilling in the video at that, you just plunge pretty fast. (But not too fast or you won't have the torque) ;)

Keyence Fiber Units. The exact model numbers are in the catalogs.

The negative rail of the DC power supply is grounded to the machine chassis. The +5v goes to the plate which is insulated by that big block of plastic. So, when the machine touches it, the circuit is complete.

I hope the plate never electrically fails. For the sake of your bits.

+Simon Hills I am. I honestly didn't even look at the CAM for that op, just hit 3D adaptive and moved on. Clearly it did not do an optimal job, lol.

Chris DePrisco I'm not an expert either! just wanted to pass on what i know. Check out Rob Lockwood's video he did with John Saunders/NYCCNC

I wish! Unfortunately without feedback on the exact speed the spindle is running, you wouldn't know how fast to move the axis and would either destroy the threads or break the taps. I do hope to one day get a spindle with an encoder so I can do rigid tapping though.

I just automatically assumed you would be able to mount an encoder to your existing spindle and make that work. But that might not be worth the effort ? You want a new spindle with more torque at the same time as an encoder I suppose ?

It could be done, but I don't think there is a place to put an encoder without modifying the motor housing. It's definitely possible, others have done it. I just haven't looked into it since tapping is pretty low on my priority list at the moment. Right now I really need an enclosure so I can quit having to pick bits of metal out of everything I own, lol.

1) UCCNC I had to make my own macros and I just assigned them to the buttons since I don't know what the original P1 and P2 even do... 2) Correct 3&4) Ebay The opto is a Continental brand but any fast switching opto that works with your voltage would work equally well. The beam-break sensor is a Keyence FS-N series but they make a TON of sensors that would also work equally well.

Sweet, thanks :) Just didn't recognize the GUI of the software. I'll be searching for those break-beam switches too ! Great project :)

I got mine from a scrapped project but looking at them on ebay I had no idea they went so cheaply! Definitely worth the $25 or so.

+Lars Stolz I'm using UCCNC.

Fortunately it touches down so slowly that it has, so far, yet to leave any kind of visible mark on the shiny copper surface. I do have a plan if it does become slightly marred, though. I can re-face the whole assembly (in place) if it ever needs cleaned up. :)

+EFormance Engineering Its a Keyence FS-N series. Not sure what model specifically but they have a lot of models for PNP, NPN, etc. It's just the one I had so I used it, lol.

Home CNC Stuff yes, but it would need to be rotating to get an accurate diameter setting and would need reference to maintain proper diameters probed for each tool. meaning it would first require knowing the centerline of the spindle in relation to the trip point of the beam sensors. so perhaps you would use a centered and true 1/2" precision gauge rod in the spindle that has been tried and use it as a reference to locate the spindle centerline. once that is known all other tool measurements would be referenced off that coordinate to record the new took diameter. this method is used on high end machines to record accurate tool size for wear or imperfect OD grinding from the manufacturer and still attain proper tolerance. it does require the tool path to be controlled I side the controller and not in the cam, or for a wear offset to be used to amend the tool path for the difference in the calculated kinematics for the new diameter.

+Home CNC Stuff Perhaps, definitely worth a try someday. I thought about adding a conductive plate on the side and doing the same thing I'm doing now with the height. Get a rough position with the sensor and then move to the plate; while rotating the tool.

@@SmallShopConcepts Not necessarily- you can simply keep track of your values and then use them when you're doing your programming. Just about every CAM program out there supports tool libraries, and even if you don't have a toolchanger you'll be good to go so long as you can manage to remember which tool is #1, #2, etc.

+Easton Bednarek Small threaded drill chuck and a threaded to .5" straight arbor, used in a .5" collet.

Awesome I'm building a similar VMC (with my own twists) and that looks like an awesome way to use drills.

Just be careful that you don't accidentally run at 24k RPM with the chuck in -- those things are not at all balanced. :P

Jeff Beck i see this for fast tool aproximation to reduce time in tool set

I feel like it looks to be more wasteful than it is since you aren't the only one to bring it up... I did the math and I wasted approx. $0.31 (scrap price) of copper, lol.

Chris DePrisco you know what your doing, just looked like you could have saved a slice off the side was all (I ain't bitching, just saying).

Yea, I really do need to get a band saw (not the old, rickety Craftsman wood band saw I happen to have) so I can cut metals to an appropriate size. Of course, then I need some space for all the offcuts, lol.

Chris DePrisco no need to keep all the drops if they aren’t useful - scrap dealers typically pay more for solid.

Hey David. You'd be much better served by the guy I got them from originally. Mine are modified to work with my setup and I honestly don't recall how they work. Look for "UCCNC Macro sharing" on cnczone.com. I just used the M31 code he provides.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction :) I found the scripts and adapted them, works great :)

Awesome!

oh and with the fibre optic amp, you generally need to pull the leads out about 1mm from fully pushed in

+Travis Hammond I had not thought about thermal expansion, what concern would you have? And I'll go pull out the leads a tad, thanks!

Chris DePrisco not sure what plastic you've used, but seeing as it's sitting on your table, and therefore the z height of it is table - tool setter, of the tool setter expands a little, your tool setting relative to the table will be off by however much is expanded.

Travis Hammond Ah, I'm only referencing the first tool I set, not the actual position from the bed so as long as there aren't any wild temp swings while I'm machining the part it shouldn't matter much. As far as I've thought out anyway.

Chris DePrisco ahhhhh. that's all good then. so you'll set a tool, then set your work z then set your other tools relative to the first?

So few people follow this principle- even at the trade school I attend instructors don’t know this!

Very cool man, thanks! That's always kind of bugged me but I haven't ever done enough drilling to for it to bother me enough to figure it out. I'll take a look.

I wouldn't have kept the scrap piece so I didn't give it any thought. Plus I don't have a good way of cutting up something like that so I wasn't about to hassle with it.

I guess I'm a hoarder of scraps! I also didn't notice the other comment. To me its not on a value of metal but when I need a piece that size and cant find one its rather difficult for me to just run out and purchase a piece.

+Rivers Company Right. If I had a decent place to store small scraps and a good way to cut it I totally would save them too. :)

@@ChrisDePrisco You don't own a hand hacksaw?

UCCNC

How is it compared to Mach? would you consider it more user friendly? does it have a really large forum/Source of help? I barely manage to make my Automatic tool changer work.. but is just really harsh to find people that actually have experience... "Tons of companies willing to write a macro for a few thousands DO!!!!

I haven't used mach but it definitely is pretty customizable. There's a small community of people on the forums to help and the guy behind the software posts a lot. I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find something it can't do, but you will likely need to program your own stuff; but there's tons of example macros to copy. Plus the guy who runs the US distribution is really helpful (cnc4pc.com). I'm just starting to look into using its built in Modbus functionality to have it interface with an Arduino which should make it virtually limitless in its functionality.

I have actually purchased a few infrared motion sensors from that place, good products, but when I try to get a few questions answer the guy took almost two weeks to answer.. really good products!! even do now when ever I need that type of switches I just brake a part a printer and get them for free..Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions wish you the best,